Good start, brilliant ending to print project

Cre8ive Solutions recently won a contract to supply 660 mounted canvas prints featuring beautiful Indigenous artwork. Rather than base our price on a cheapest product available (as other companies had), I quoted two prices – the cheaper one and one that was significantly higher – and urged the client, Goodstart Early Learning pre-school centres to take the more expensive option. Not so we would increase our profit margin, but because I was convinced that the client would get a far superior job: Prints that would look great for decades without the ink fading, the canvas fraying or the frame warping. Here’s how I convinced them that choosing quality over cost was the way to go…

While looking for canvas print suppliers, I had several discussion with Liam Tovey, the founder and boss at Brilliant Prints. I became convinced that his premium product was just that – brilliant. Liam used only world’s-best materials and had supplied thousands of canvas prints to leading companies, such as Wesfarmers, Stamford Plaza, and Audi.

In compiling the quote for Goodstart Early Learning pre-school centres, I put the two options side by side (knowing at least three other tenderers had gone with the cheaper one alone). But, how do I make the client see that the extra cost of the Brilliant Prints was worth the investment?

Comparing the two up close was the clincher

Liam really sold his product: “We use UK Fine Art Guild-certified canvas that we import directly from the US manufacturer. We print using genuine Epson archival ink on 12-colour machines (double that of the cheaper print). The inks are independently tested to last 75 years without colour shift. Each print is protected with a spray laminate, with the canvas stretched over 30mm deep hardwood frames that won’t warp (cheaper print was 20mm). We stopped using 20mm pine frames as the climate variations around Australia resulted in twists and warps over time. Joinery hardwood ensure the frame is perfect for decades.”

But, would Liam’s pitch be enough to clinch the contract? I figured the best way for the client to judge the quality of the two products was to see them up close. So, I arranged to send the client samples featuring the actual artwork from the two suppliers, so Goodstart could examine them.

Their verdict? Chalk and cheese! And, it was the clear difference in quality that got Cre8ive Solutions and Brilliant Prints over the line. Brilliant Prints was even able to ship of the prints, which now take pride of place in Goodstart’s pre-schools around Australia.

A celebration of Indigenous culture

As an Indigenous-owned and operated company, Cre8ive Solutions was delighted to be able to showcase the work of a truly talented Indigenous artist, Cyndy Newman, a Wiradjuri woman from Condobolin in NSW Central West.

Cyndy’s design was commissioned to commemorate the launch of Goodstart’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

She explained that “the painting’s circles symbolise meeting places and people coming together, the hands symbolise the children and the early education sector, the footprints symbolise the steps we are taking to create, design and acknowledge the importance of having a RAP in place”.

“Each dot was painted with respect,” Cyndy said.

A project that began with a calculated gamble ended brilliantly.

– Laurie Sullivan.

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